Universal hook



Dec. 13, 1960 J. H. MITCHELL UNIVERSAL HOOK Filed July 7, 1955 2 sheets-snee: 1

IN VEN TOR.

Dec. 13, 1960 UNIVERSAL Hoox Filed July 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

Jo/m H Mi/chel/ IN VEN TOR.

J. H. MlTcl- ILL 2,964,347

. 2,964,347 UNIVERSAL HooK John H. Mitchell, ,Montesano, Wash., assignorito Mar Hook Equipment, Inc., Aberdeen, Wash., a corporationoftWashington Y ofthis `invention is to provide a hoisting hook capable of automatically releasinga load with its sling having aferrule attached tolthe end of it.

y Unite-,d *States Patent O `A further object of this. invention is to provide a hoisting hookas'aforesaid which permits three methods of the ferruledV sling release that is, manually, by the operator allowingV the hook to strike an object or thetop of a `load andinally, by automatically lifting or forcing the sling or rigging from the hook when the stress on thesling line Vis decreased to a predetermined amount. A morespeciic object of the invention is to provide a Vhoisting'hoolr'forferruled sling lines, which includes a cage mounted ina housing, the cage and housing having ferrule entrances which are adapted to be moved into registrypby displacement of the cage during which time means f or pushing the ferrule through the entrances are automatically-set intotoperation. VOther objects and advantages of the invention such as the reduction'of accidents, time, effort, labor and wire rope savings aswell as increasing the life of hoisting equipment, will become apparent in following the description of this invention.

In the drawingsr Figurerl is a vertical sectional view of one form of the invention showing particularly a ferrule in place therein; Y

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectionalv view taken' substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 2"-21 of-Figure 1 and in the direction ofthe arrows;

`Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional Vview taken substantially'` on theplane indicated by the section line 3-1-3 of Figure 1` and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cage which operates as a hook inthe invention;

Figure Sis avertical sectional view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating the ferrule as it is separated from the hoisting hook;

Figure 6 is avertical sectional view similar to Figures 1 and 5 but of the hoisting hook with certain parts being removed and demonstrating manual removal of the' ferrule from the hook; and

Figure 7 is a perspective viewl of the housing constituting a part of the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

The hoisting hook 10 shown inthe drawings demonstratesthe principles of the invention and it is understood that various structural departures may be made. Hook 1 0 `comprises a housing 12, shown especially in Figure 7, with an ear 14 at its upper end having an aperture 1'6` in it to accept a standard fastening device of hoisting equipment.v The housing 12 has two side walls 18 and 20 respectively, a bottom wall 22, a top 24,"a front and a backwall 26 and28 respectively. There is an'opening 30 4in the upper portion of the front; Wallf2`6 to providev easy access to the interior of housing 12. Opening 32 in the wall 26 is below opening 30, the opening 32 functioning as an entrance for a ferrule34 or the equivalent. Inasmuch Vas the ferrule 34 selected for illustration has lower guideways 36, the opening 32 is fashioned with lower Vshoulders 38 which are engage'dwith the guideways 36 duringinsertion and removal of the ferrule 34 from the housing 12. The lower rope slot 40 is formed in the front Wall 26 of the housing 12 and extends through part of the bottoni wall 22, finally terminating in an aperture 44 into which the slot 40 opens and through'which aperture the sling cable or rope 46 extends when the ferrule 3-4 is in place within the hoisting hook 10. i

A cage l50 (Figure 4) functions as a hookingelement for the ferrule 34. This cage is disposed within the housing 12 and is adapted to be moved toward or away from the bottom wall 22. The cage 50 has sides52 and 54, a bottom 56, a top bridging member 58 and a short front wall 60. There `is an opening r62 in the short .front wall 60, the opening62 being adapted to register with opening 32 in housing 12, when the bottom wall '.56 of the cage 50 rests upon the bottom wall 22 of the housing, in order to form a through passageway for the ferrule. When openings 32 and -62 are in registry ferrule 34may beV separated from the housing, butwhen they are not the ferrule will remain in the hoisting'hook 10 unless manually separated therefrom.

Cage 50 has a suspension bolt 66 connected tothe top bridging member 58, the suspension bolt extending between the parallel stops 63 and 70 that are xed to the opposite side walls 18 and 20 of the housing 12. The cage actuating means are operatively connected with the suspension bolt 66. Although an air cylinder or hydraulic cylinder for powerv actuation may be used, a simplified version is illustrated. Spring 72 seating upon spring stops 68 and 70 reacts upon the nut 74 which is threaded on suspension bolt 66. In view of this construction spring 72 yieldingly opposes movement of the cage 50 within the housing away from the spring stops- 68 and 70 and assists movement in the opposite direction or upwardly in the housing 12. Adjustment lof nut 74 on suspension bolts 66 will govern` the stored energy within the spring under operating conditions.l

Cage 50 has a means therein for pushing the ferrule 34 through the openings 62 and 32 when thel latter are aligned. Such means consists of a lever Amounted pivotally between its ends on pin 78.' One end ofthe lever Vis operable in an opening 82 formed 4in the back wall 28 of the housing 12, while the other end is disposed alongside of the ferrule. The lever 80 is actuated in response to movement of the cage V50 within the housing 12. One suggested way to move the cage 5|)` in thehousing 12 is to apply a. properly directed force on the push rod 86. This rod is secured to the lower wall of cage 50 and extends through a passage 88 in the bottom wall 22 for operation frompthe exterior of the housing 12. r

The operation of the invention is as follows: The sling ferrule 34 is pushed through openings 32 and L62 by hand, the cable or rope 46 passingthrough the slot 40 in the housing 12 and the slot 90 in the cage '50 which is in communication with the opening 62. By the hoisting apparatus (not shown) cable 46 is drawn taut and the ferrule 34 pulls cage S0 downwardly against the spring opposition. The sling is then movedto its new location. Now, the ferrule 34 may be manually pulled from the hoisting hook or, when lowering the sling, the operator of the hoist may allow hoisting hook 10 to strike an object or the top of the load. In this event push rod 86 aided by spring 72 or in the absence of spring 72 (Figure 6) will push cage 50` upwardly in hous- 82, the lever 80 must swing arcuatell in a counterclockwise directionY whereby an end thereof contacts and pushes theV ferrule 34 through the opening 62 and into the opening 32. The lower wall of the opening 32 may be downwardly inclined as shown in the drawings so that the ferrule simply slips down it.. Finally, the ferrule 34 may be separated from the hook by resting the sling and load so as to cause the cable 46 to become slack and allow spring 72 to pull the cage 50 upwardly in housing 12 whereby the lever 80 pushes the ferrule 34 through the aligned openings 62 and 32.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.V Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a hoisting hook for a sling ferrule, a housing provided with a lateral ferrule entrance opening, a ferrule receiving cage having a lateral opening through which the ferrule is adapted to pass, said cage being disposed within said housing, means on said housing mounting said cage for movement relative to said housing between an opening aligned position and an opening misaligned position, and means in said cage responsive to movement of said cage with respect to said housing for engaging and pushing the ferrule through said openings when said openings are in registry.

2. The combination of claim 1 including resilient means in said housing and engaging the latter and said cage and yieldingly urging the latter into a position with said openings in registry for passage of said ferrule therethrough.

3. The combination of claim 2 including means carried by said housing and accessible and actuatable from the exterior thereof for moving said cage in said housing to a position in which said openings are suficiently out of registry to prevent passage of said ferrule therethrough.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the opening in said housing has lower walls inclined downwardly and outwardly to facilitate separation of the ferrule from said housing.

5. The combination of claim 1 including resilient means in said housing and engaging the latter and said cage and yieldingly urging the latter into a position with said openings in registry for passage of said ferrule therethrough, said housing having a further opening therein adjacent said resilient means for access to the latter for adjustment thereof.

6. The combination of claim 1 including means connected to said cage and housing for limiting said cage to guided movement whereby to bring said openings into registry.

7. The combination of claim 2 including means carried by said housing and accessible and actuatable from the exterior thereof for moving said cage in said housing to a position in which said openings are sufficiently out of registry to prevent passage of said ferrule therethrough, wherein said cage moving means comprises a rod secured to said cage and slidably extending through said housing and movable from the exterior of the latter.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ferrule pushing means includes a lever pivotally mounted between its ends upon said cage, said lever having a portion thereof constituting a pusher for urging a ferrule through said openings when the latter are alined.

9. The combination of claim S including means carried by said housing and accessible and actuatable from the exterior thereof for moving said cage in said housing toa position in which said openings are suiciently out o f registry to prevent passage of said ferrule therethrough.

10. The combination of claim 9 including resilient means in said housing and engaging the latter and said cage and yieldingly urging the latter into a position with said openings in registry for passage of said ferrule therethrough. Y s

11. The combination Yof claim 10 including downwardly inclined rails on the bottom surface of said housing to guide the ferrule downwardly and outwardly as it is separated from said cage and housing.

12. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of said cage and housing has a bottom wall with an opening in said `bottom wall and with'the latter and the opening in the other of said cage and housing extending downwardly thereto whereby when a ferrule is disposed in said cage its sling will be suspendeddirectly therefrom with its cable being disposed through both of said openings. Y

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said ferrule pushing means includes a lever pivotally mounted between its ends upon said cage, said lever having a portion thereof constituting a pusher for urging a ferrule through said openings whenthe latter are alined.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said housing has an abutment surface disposed for engagement by and actuation of another'portion of said lever when said cage is positioned for registry of said openings whereby said first mentioned portion of said lever will be engaged by a ferrule to selectively cause ejection of said ferrule through said openings and movement of said cage whereby to cause misalinement of said openings.

15. The combination of claim 14 including downwardly inclined rails on the bottom surface ofsaid housing to guide the ferrule downwardly and outwardly as it is separated from said cage and housing.

16. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing has a pair of generally upright walls between which said cage is slidably and guidingly received, said ferrule pushing means including an abutment on one of said upright walls, a member movably carried by said cage and having a first portion engageable with a ferrule and a second portion engageable with said abutment for selectively urging the ferrule through said openings or urging said cage out of alinement with said openings.

17. The combination of claim 16 including means carried by said housing and accessible and acuatable from the exterior th'ereof for moving said cage in said housing to a position in which said openings are suflciently out of registry to prevent passage of said ferrule therethrough.

18. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cage has a ferrule receiving and supporting seat therein, said housing and cage having bottom walls, said openings extending downwardly to constitute slots in said bottom walls whereby when a ferrule is rested on said seat, the ferrule sling may extend downwardly through said slots in said bottom walls.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein said ferrule pushing means includes a lever pivoted to said cage and having a first portion engaging a ferrule when resting on said seat and a second portion engaging a portion of said housing comprising an abutment surface when said openings are alined.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said lever is pivoted within said cage.

21. The combination of claim 20 including means car' References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

